Committee Decisions

CONF 008 XV.43-50

Promotional Activities

43. The Secretary introduced document SC/CONF.008/07 on promotional activities and drew the Committee's attention to several points, including the exhibit of photographs of World Heritage sites, the information material produced during the current year and the contribution of States Parties in promoting the Convention. On the whole, the contribution of States to public information for their own nationals was still somewhat_ limited. However, the presence of the Mayors of Quebec, Congonhas, Segovia and Santiago de Compostela at the current session was evidence of the growing interest aroused by the Convention at the local level. The Secretary gave several examples of ways in which States Parties might contribute to promotional activities on a larger scale than the Secretariat could mount on its own. They might, for instance, assist in circulating the exhibit referred to above, with the possible addition of material on World Heritage sites in their own countries, and, above all, set up the specific national bodies provided for in the Convention.

44. The Secretary also drew the Committee's attention to two points requiring decision. Firstly, the Bureau had requested the Committee to consider launching a full-scale promotion policy. The Secretariat, which had consulted communication specialists on the subject, reported that if the Committee was agreeable in principle to calling upon professionals to improve its promotion policy it could request the Secretariat to undertake a more detailed study. In the light of concrete proposals resulting from this study, the Bureau might decide whether to launch a preliminary campaign in one or more countries. Secondly, the Secretary drew the Committee's attention to draft guidelines for the production of plaques to commemorate the inclusion of properties in the World Heritage List. These guidelines had been recommended by the Bureau.

45. The representative of IUCN informed the Committee of the efforts made by his organization to promote the World Heritage Convention by means of publications, press releases, etc. and to arouse interest among States not yet parties to the Convention, particularly at meetings in the South East Asian, South Pacific and Arctic regions.

46. The Committee commended the Secretariat on its promotional activities over the past year and, in particular, the production of extremely useful public information material. The Committee encouraged the Secretariat to continue its efforts to ensure wider dissemination, in other languages, of the material produced.

47. Several delegations reported on activities carried out in their countries and on specific projects such as films on the World Heritage.

48. One delegate thought that it would be useful to produce an official diploma awarded on the inclusion of a property in the World Heritage List, and proposed to forward a model designed by an artist from her country for submission to the Bureau.

49. The Committee recognized the fundamental part to be played by States in promoting the Convention, as was the case in informing the public about Unesco's international campaigns. In this connection, the attention of the Committee was drawn to document 23 C/INF.25 presented to the 23rd General Conference containing an in-depth study of the international campaigns for the preservation and safeguarding of the cultural heritage of mankind. The Committee, in consequence, recommended that States Parties create and run the national structures foreseen under Article 17 of the Convention.

50. The Committee approved the report and the two proposals concerning, respectively, the implementation of a promotion policy and plaques to commemorate World Heritage sites.